Homer'sWorld

Monday, September 19, 2011

Dig Day 6. About 100 years ago, someone buried their pet cat in their backyard. Today Barry found in while excavating in a shallow trash-filled pit.

Cat burial.

The cat lay on its back on its right side, somewhat stretched out.

Cat skull.

When I saw the distal humerus I recognized that it was a domestic cat, there is a distinctive bone buttress in that area. One of my specialties is identifying animal and human bones.

Nearby, Allen started work on an outhouse pit. The upper portion of the pit contained barrel bands, a Chinese bowl, and then pieces of an unusual Native American or Mexican ceramic vessel started appearing.

Unusual pottery sherd (click on image to see close up).

It has brown lines and red designs on a white body. Fingerprint impressions are present along the rim. I'll have our ceramic expert at work look at it and perhaps he can tell me what it is.

Over on JoeMyGod he is wondering whether to ban anonymous commenting. I said anonymous comments were dreadful (go to any newspaper website and read the terrible comments) and someone ripped into me, thinking that Homer was a pseudonym. Lordy, I was very careful not to be snarky.